In schools on the small Spanish island of La Gomera, kids are taught an ancient whistling language called Silbo Gomero, or the Gomeran whistle. The language is a whistled form of Spanish used by the islanders. Until the middle of the 20th century, Silbo was the only way people on La Gomera could communicate across long distances. Silbo is an important part of the island's heritage. That is why since 1999 the language has been taught in schools from first grade through high school. Watch the video above to learn more about this ancient language. (Video by Laurent Laughlin for TIME)

For more on Silbo Gomero, read the October 4, 2013 issue of TIME For Kids (Edition 3-4 and 5-6).